Bracing apparatus for sheet metal



OCt- 4f 1927' R. T. ROMINE BRACING APPARATUS FOR SHEET METAL Filed oct. 12, 192e p 15 1 2 wg' 1 2/ 14, 679'. 2 S 14 7 3 17218 w I, yWV 417,- 1f 1715/ [/2 Ueli lof:

4Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

' Ronan '.r, Bouma, or norma: cLmNs, marcaron.

BBACING .APPARATUS IOR SHEET Application lled October 12, 1928. 'Serial Io. 14l,1l82. I

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for the shipping or transporting of metal sheets such, forexample, as sheet steel, inbox cars or other conveyances, and more particularly to an apparatus for binding and supporting a stack of metal sheets on edge upon the car floor so as to prevent relative movement of the sheets in the pack during transit.v

Heretofore it has been the conventional practice to pile the sheets in stacks at opposite ends of the'car, the sheets in each stack being piledilatwise on the floor of the car a ainst the side walls of the car and therea ter the several stacks being suitably braced at their ends by means of timbers or 'wooden blocks' nailed tothe floor of the ca r. This practice has proved a failure in keepin the stacks intact during transit since the sr eets constantly4 shifted or broke loose as a re-A sult of shocks or collisions to -which the cars are subjected, and frequently the sheets were driven into the end. of the car smashing it and causing great damage to the sheets as well as fto the car. In addition the sheets cut into the side walls of the car causing further damage'.

When the sheets are stacked in the ear v with the sheets placed horizontally or fiatwise, very serious problems are encountered Iin attemptingto hold thestack of sheets intact as a 'unit against relative shifting movement of the sheets. The shocks or jolts to whichthelcarsare subjected result in setting up a whipping Vaction-of fthensheets or will bend transversely in the middle and then flatten out with a whip-like action. Where the stack of sheets is'buttressed at its ends, the weaving or whipping action, as well as the shiftlng'of the sheets'l against the buttresses results in crimping the edges of the sheets, rendering them defective.

The present invention provides a relatively simple and inexipensite ap aratus and method for packing 'sheet meta on the car, vwhich can be -easily assembled or knocked .grsdown and which will overcome .the foregoing disadvantages. Two packs of sheets,

\5.each weighin preferably approximately ten tons, where te load capaclty of the car is forty tons, arelmpateach end of the Year, and eachrpack is' placemlgefwitk the plane of the sheets vertical instead of horizontal or Hat as was the common practice heretofore.' The vbottom edges lof the sheets are supported entireliyl1 upon wooden sills or cross members whic may, if desired, be nailed' to the car' floor, and the pack is clamped together by means of-a combined 60 bracing, supporting and antishiftin apparatus. Wood members aredrawn or c amped together' under pressure against the top and bottom edges of the sheets so that both edges of leach sheet will positively tend to. cut into the wood and'resist longitudinal sliding movement.

Other objects and :advantages of this in-v vention will appear in the following de#y vsci iptlon and appended claims, reference belng had tothe accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in theseveral views.

Figfl 1s a side elevation lengthwise of the car showing the pack of metal sheets 75 held edgewise in the bracing and supporting apparatus of this invention.

F1g..2 is an end elevation of the pack showing the frame structure for maintaining the sheets on edge against a' wall of the car. 80 Flg; 3 is a sectlon taken substantiallyQalong the line 3--3, of Fig. l, showing the adjustable means for gripping the top and bottom ed es of the sheets.

efore exfplaining in detaill the present invention, an the 'method or mode of operation embodied therein,'it is toA beunderstood 'i that the invention isnot limited in its ap.

- plication to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the vaeoo companying drawings, since the inyzentionis/ 1n other words the flat pile of metal sheetsllfpable df other em odiment'ahd of being.

practised or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phrasev ology `or/'terminology employed therein .is 95 forthe purpose of description and not of 'imitation and it is not -intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the seiferal,y -claims hereto appended or the requirements of the priorart. l Y

In the present instance one form of ap-v paratus 'f is villustrated by means` of 'which a Rack ofgmetal sheets, such as sheet steel, may tied or clamped `together-andsupported inlposition in a freight vcar for shipment. "lebpw Iserles'of -wooden sills or cross members 10 are rstplaced in positiomu on the floor 4F of the car and may, if desire bersecured thereto by means of screws 10', or other suitable\%stening means, in a position 110 transverse ofsthecar. The ack of. metal sheets VS l1s placedvivposition' upon the:

l into them, thereby preventing longitudinal shiftingof the sheets in the pack.

Each sill member forms the base section vof a supporting frame which comprises an upright wooden member 11 preferably secured to the car wall W by means of screws 1l', or any other suitable fastening means. An upright wooden member 12 is placed upon the front edge of the sill member 10 and engages the face of thefoutermost sheet of the pack. An upper Wood member 13 extends acrossvthe to edges of the sheets transversely of thelr length, the several members forming a frame structure extending transversely about the pack.

'Metallic plates 14, having a series of holes therein, lare provided for the purpose of securing the abutting ends yof the several horizontal and vertical members of the .Wooden frame structure together, such plates being secured to the several members by means of screws 14', or any other suitable fastening means. These plates are positioned on opposite sides of the frame members at their meeting faces as illustrated in Figure l', so as to provide a ri id connect.

ing means for the frame mem ers or sections.

Interposed' between the supporting frames are clamping members for firmly gripping vthe upper and lower edges of the meta;`

Sheets- Each of the clamping membe.

comprises a ywooden base member or transversely extendingvs'il 15 positioned below the pack and -provided"adjant each end with a eountersunk recess 15. A top member 16 extends transversely across the upper. edges of YVthefsheets, the member 16 being provided adjacent each end with a vertical hole 16.

A vertically extending rod 17 rovided with a. head 17 and anvexterna yscrew threaded end VV172 is provided for the pur- -pose of drawin together the ends of the members 15 an 16. The head 17 of the rod is ositoned withinwthe recess- 15 ,fnrmed/ln-the'has'member 15 and its upper end extends through the hole 16 in the top cross member 16.17AV nut is applied to the screw threaded/'end 17z of the rod and se'rves to draw the cross members 15 and 16 to ther.v A similarly formed rod ispro.-

. vi ed for the purposeof drawingkn'g'ther the o posite ends of the ,members 15 and 16. It wi be seep that when the gripping device or frame is placed in position about the pack, the wooden members 15 and 16 are drawn together to compress the same against the upper and lowei` longitudinal edges of the sheets forming the pack S to hold them firmly and rigidly in place.

Any suitable number of supporting frames comprising the parallel horizontal and vertically extending wooden sections may be employed, and likewise any necessary number of clamping members comprising the horizontal wooden frame members and upright rod members,l may be employed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that with the use ofthe present improved apparatus a pack of metal sheets is firmly held on edge against movement relatively to the car floor or walls when the car is in transit. Moreover, the present invention provides a method whereby the sheets are held against shifting by virtue of their own frictionagainst the upper and lower wood members 15 and 16.

Itis important to note that by pressing downwardl on the upper edges of the sheets throu h the medium of members 16 of softer material than the sheets, the desired frictional engagement with the upper edges is obtained, and, furthermore, the downward pressure assists the weight of the sheets in obtaining frictional engagement between the lower edges of the sheets and the members 10 and 15 and holds the sheets in engage# ment with these members against any tendency to move upwardly therefrom in transit.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for bracing a pack of metal sheets on their edges in a freight car, comprising a plurality of frames comprisin sections extending transversely about sai i'pack, said sections being detachably con- -i`1ected together, certain of said sections being removably attached to the-carV fioora'nd wall, and adjustable/means extending transyversel about said pack interposed between s aid rame members for additionally supporting said pack and preventing dislodgment ofthe sheets.

2. In an apparatus for bracing a pack of metal sheets on their edges rin 'a freight car, the combination of a wood member extendin'gI transversely beneath the pack engaging the loweredges of the sheetsa wood mem-- ber extending transversely across the top of the pack engaging the upper edges of the sheets, and means for drawing said members togetherto compress the same against 'the opposite edges of the sheets.

3,` In an apparatus for bracing/aipackfof metal sheets on their edges/iright car, the mbllatoncf' a wood member extend ing'tansversely beneath the pack engaging the lon er edges of the sheets, a `wood member extending transversely across the top of the pack engaging the upper edges Vof the sheets, means for drawing said members together to compress the same against the op.

ly across the vtop of the pack and having i wood surfaces engaging the upperedges of the sheets, and means for' drawing said members togetherto compress the wood surfaces L.against the upper and lower edges of the sheets.

5. In an apparatus for bracing a pack of sheet metal supported in vthe car with the sheets on ed es, the combination of va plurality of mem ers extending transversely beneath the pack' and having wood surfaces engaging the lower edges of the sheets, a

plurality of members extending transverse-- 1y acrossithe top of the pack and having wood surfaces engaging the upper edges of the sheets, means for drawing said members together to compress the same against the upper and'lower edges of the sheets, and-a plurality of supportingframes comprising upright buttresses at opposite sides of the pack for supporting the sheets on' their edges. I j

6. In an apparatus for bracin a pack of v me-tal sheets on their edges in a reight car, the combination ofv a pluralitv of wood members extending transversely beneath the pack lwhereby' the'lower edges of the sheets will bite thereinto, ,a plurality of wood members extending transversely across vthe top of the pack en ging the upperedges of upper and lower edges of the sheets and a supporting frame om rising upright buttresses at o posite si es of the pack and` arallel horizontalmembers` above and be- 'ow the pack for their edges.

.7. An apparatus for bracing a pack of metal sheets on their edges in a frei htcar comprisin a plurality of substanti ly reciy ames, each comprising top, boti metal sheetsontheir edges in a freight car comprising frames, having parallel Ivertical 5 andhorizontalsections, certain of said Sec# tions being removably' connected-.with a wall x of the sheets.

the sheets, means or drawing saidmembera together to compress theA same against the :supporting the sheets on A,

. edges where of the freight car, u per and lower wooden sections, 'and vertical y extending brace rods connecting said sections for adjusting ytheir relative positions to bind the opposite edges `\9. An apparatus for bracing a pack of metal sheets on their edges in a freight car comprising a frame having a base section provided with a wood surface extending transversely beneath the lower edges of the sheets and being `detachabl connected with i the car floor, a rear vertica ly extending section removably connected with a wall of the car, a front vertical section parallel with the rear-section, a top section parallel with the base section, and plates for inter-'connecting the several sections at their meetin ends.

10. Means for supporting a pack 0% metal sheets on their edges in a' freight car, com

prising a wooden base member extending 'transversely'beneath the lower ed esof the.

sheets, a IWooden top member a apted to engage the upper edges of the sheets, and

means for adjusting the relative positions of the wooden niembersto cause theirenga ement with the upper andlower edges of t e sheets.

11. Means for supporting a lpackof metal sheets on their edges in a freight car, comprising a wooden base member ,extending transversely beneath the lower edges of the sheets, having countersunk recesses in its lower face adjacent the ends, a wooden to member provided with holes adjacent eac end thereof, and a pair of rods having enlarged heads at one end seatedl in. the said recesses, their opposite ends extendin through the holes in the top member and being screw" threaded, and nuts applied to said screw threaded ends for adjusting the relative'positions of the base and top mem- .bers whereby said members engage the upl per and lower edges of the sheets and preyent their dislodgement from the pack. 12. (In an apparatus of the class described,l o the combination of means for holding together in va unita pack ofmetal sheets on the car iioor with "the sheets mounted on their edges, a member or members extendin over thel top of.the pack and having woo surfaces. engaging the upper edges of the sheets,and means for drawing said member or members downwardlyaga-inst the edges ofthe sheets. y l l 13. The herein described method of trans-- porting lsheet .or strip metal supported on edge in acar whichconsists in ressing members of relatively softer material than the sheets against their upper vand. .lower y to resist `fric'tionally sliding `movement of the sheets in transit. i

14: The herein described method of transporting sheet or strip metal supported on edge ina car whichconsists4 in ressing members ,of relatively., softer material than ioo' the sheets against their lower and upper edges running lengthwise of the car, whereby to resist frictionally sliding movement of the sheets in transit.

15. The herein described method of transporting sheet or strip metal supported on edge in a car which consists in pressing members of relatively softer material than the sheets against their upper edges whereby to resist frictionally sliding movement of the sheets in transit. a

1 6. The herein described method of transporting sheet` or strip metal supported on edge in a car which consists in pressing members of relatively softer materlal than the sheets against their upper edges run-` ning lengthwise of the car whereby to resist frictionally sliding movement of the sheets in transit.

17. In an apparatus for transporting sheet or strip metal-in a pack in a freight car with the Sheets resting on edge, means above -the upper edges relatively softer vthan the sheets engaging said edges, means below the lower edges relatively softer than the sheets adapted to engage frictionally the lower edges,said last mentioned means being exposed for engagement with the Hoor of a car, and means for pressing both of said means into frictional engagementwith the edges of the sheets.

18. In an apparatus for transporting sheet or strip metalin a pack in a freight car with the sheets resting on edge, means above the upper edges relatively softer than the sheets engaging said edges, means below the loweredges relatively softer than the sheets adapted to engage frictionally the lower edges, said last mentioned means being exposed for engagement with the {ioor of a car, and arranged to support the pack and means for pressing both of said means into frictional engagement with the edges of the sheets.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

ROBERT T. ROMINE. 

